Drop the World
by Turian Spectre
Summary: The Collectors have a sick interest in Shepard, and want to capture the man alive. The Commander wants to know why... A story spanning the ME2 plotline, but with so much more on the line.


A/n: Forewarning; You will see very little dialogue being taken directly from the game. You'll see some, but not much... Everything else will be explained in another A/n at the end of the chapter...

* * *

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams stood awkwardly at the podium, a slight sheen of sweat visible on her brow. She was not one to speak, as she had told many people before. She often could not find the right words to express what she felt, but she had promised herself that it would be different this time. She would find the words to express what she thought of him. She would find the words... for him. _He_ deserved it, at the very least. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were watching her, waiting for her to start speaking. The sweat on her brow increased. She cleared her throat and scratched at the hem of her dress. God she hated dresses... She cleared her throat again.

"What can I say about Johnathan 'Don't Call Me John' Shepard..."

She stopped there, trying to gather her thoughts while many chuckled at Shepard's nickname. She really wasn't good with words... What should she say? Here she was, at the memorial service for the Hero of the Galaxy, the Savior of the Citadel, Saren's Vanquisher. A man believed to be invincible. And now, a man who was dead. A man who had died without a chance to really defend himself or strike back at his attackers. A man who had died in a rather pathetic way, considering his status... Ninety-nine percent of the enormous crowd in front of her thought Shepard was faultless. They didn't know John Shepard... The John Shepard who did whatever it took to take Saren down, to destroy Sovereign, to save the galaxy... The John Shepard who didn't beat around the bush, who was as blunt as blunt can be, who pushed forward no matter the challenge. The John Shepard she had fallen in love with, despite him being her superior officer... The real John Shepard.

"John Shepard was... an asshole, really."

Ashley chuckled when the crowd gasped. Councilor Anderson, who stood off to her right, tried to hide his smirk.

"Shepard _was_ an asshole, at times. He would tell you, to your face, whatever he thought was wrong about you. He lacked finesse, he lacked manners, hell he lacked a lot of things... But, despite all his faults, despite all his mistakes, despite all his actions, he was a good man. He would do anything to save innocents, and had no qualms in killing those that were guilty. He was... a unique individual..."

She paused, taking a breathe. The crowd remained silent, many shocked or wondering where she was going with her speech. She had decided that if she was going to speak about Shepard, she wasn't going to omit anything about him.

"John Shepard was a man of great strength, great intelligence, and great conviction. He would do anything to better humanity, even if that meant sacrificing his life. While many saw him as ruthless, those that knew him were lucky enough to see his softer side. He cared deeply for every member of his crew, and would dive into hell for each and every one of them. He demonstrated this loyalty and determination when he remained aboard a dying vessel to save the life of Jeff Moreau, the Normandy's pilot and John's friend."

Feeling this was an appropriate place to pause, Ashley took another deep breathe, settling the last of her nerves. The crowd seemed smaller now, as she fell into the groove of talking about her Commander. Her nervousness disappeared as her speech came to an end.

"Unfortunately the savior of the galaxy never made it to an escape pod, and was blown into space when the Normandy took her final breath. So we are here today, all species of the Citadel assembled, to honor not only a great man, but a great member of our galaxy. Commander Shepard was the best, and the worst, of what humanity has to offer. He will be sorely missed."

The crowd erupted into applause.

_Four Days Earlier_...

A miniature explosion knocked him backward. With a grunt he felt himself slam into one of the last pieces of the Normandy that was still intact. Without thought his hand latched onto the nearest object protruding from the wall. He watched as Joker seemed to reach out for him. He thought he heard his old friend scream something, most likely his name, before another explosion blew his ass right into the void. All he could really think was; _Fuck_. He had just been blown into space as the rest of the Normandy fell apart before his very eyes. His eyes flickered to the left as he saw one last pod blast away from the , Joker got out alive.

He might be one ruthless mother fucker, but he would never deny that he cared about his crew mates. He was glad that, if he was going to die, his attempt to save Joker hadn't failed. That and he was simply happy that his friend would live on. Those semi-happy thoughts were interrupted by a very nasty hissing sound. His hand, once again moving on its own it seemed, drifted up and clutched at the back of his helmet. The seal had broken... If there was any chance of surviving, it just went out the door. He would suffocate in a few short minutes, alone and drifting through the void. Some sort of calm seeped into Shepard's bones, permeating his body and settling deep inside his head. If he were being honest with himself, this was not the most horrible way to die. Sure, the soldier inside him wanted to die in a blaze of glory, killing a multitude of enemies before being taken down by some big bad boss. But the person inside Shepard, the person who had led him away from Earth and into space in the first place, loved the stars and was content to die starring up at the blanket of sparkling lights with a planet at his back.

"_Why do you keep staring at the stars, kid?"_

_Shepard snarled at the one speaking to him, "Don't call me a kid! You're barely three years older than me!"_

_The girl smirked, looking down at a seven year old Johnathan Shepard. The boy was lying flat on his back in a small alley, looking up through the beaten old buildings and staring at the stars. _

"_Yeah, but being ten is so much more adult then being seven. Besides, you're just a Running Rat kid, I'm actually a full fledge Squad Grunt. I outrank you..."_

_The boy, who definitely did not look as young as he was, snarled again, "Yeah, yeah! You're above me for now! But soon I'll stop being just a errand boy and be a Grunt just like you!"_

_The girl shook her head, "I doubt that, kid. The Reds is a hard gang, and they don't promote easily."_

_Shepard stood, brushed the dirt off his back, and glared right into the girl's eyes, "You'll see. I'm going to prove myself one day, you'll see..."_

_Shepard stalked out of the alley, leaving the girl behind and missing the shiver that crawled up her spine, despite the hot summer day._

Shepard blinked, surprised at the memory of his time as a child on Earth. The memory opened a dam he had long held closed. Echoes of his life flitted through his mind, unbidden and in no particular order.

_Shepard stood stock-still, paralyzed. He could barely believe this was happening... Geth had just sent reinforcements to the spot where they had set up the nuke. Kaiden was being overrun. Likewise, Ashley and Kirrahe's team were being pinned down at the AA Gun. Shepard had to choose. He couldn't save them both... It just wasn't possible. And Ashley... How could he..._

"_Commander, go pick up Williams! I've made sure the nuke will go off! Go get Williams and get the hell out of here!"_

_Despite the strength of Kaiden's voice, Shepard could hear the underlying tone of fear. The man did not want to die, but he would... For Shepard, for Ashley, and for the galaxy... Shepard clenched his fists._

"_Belay that Commander! Kirrahe and I can hold out while you help Alenko clear out those geth! Go back for Kaiden!"_

_Ashley's voice held the same qualities as Kaiden's. Strength, but hidden tones of fear. She knew that if Shepard went back for Kaiden, she and Kirrahe's team would likely die. Shepard took a deep breathe._

"_Ashley, radio Joker and tell him to meet us at the AA Gun."_

_Static, a pause, and then, "Aye aye, Commander."_

_Shepard opened his mouth to speak, but Kaiden beat him to it, "You're doing the right thing, Commander."_

_Shepard clenched his fists again, "I'm sorry Kaiden... I had to make a choice."_

_The only reply he received was radio static. Shepard cursed and signaled his team to resume their journey to the AA Gun._

Shepard cringed at the nasty memory, but sighed as the calm he was feeling fought off the regret that was threatening to consume him.

"_Get the fuck out of here Shepard! Get the fuck out of here!"_

_A young Johnathan Shepard began to back-pedaled, following many of the other men and women in his unit as they were forced to watch three worm-like creatures tear into the front of their formation. Seven of the fifty soldiers were killed within seconds, eaten alive by the unknown alien creatures._

"_Idiots! Don't turn your backs to them! Shoot, damn it, shoot! We need cover fire, cover fire!"_

_The commanding officer was firing his assault rifle rapidly, threatening to exhaust his thermal clip before he was out of the creatures' range. He was also moving slower than the rest of the unit, being left behind. If the man ran out of ammo, he wouldn't have time to change the clip and the worms would devour him. Shepard growled in the back of his throat, realizing no one else was going to help the man. Loading a fresh clip into his sniper rifle, Shepard began to move forward. His commanding officer was slowly backing toward Shepard, hardly ten yards away. Shepard fired several shots at the worms, not worrying about aiming through his scope as the creatures were so enormous._

"_Sir! Slow your fire! You're gonna overheat your clip!"_

_His commanding officer turned toward Shepard just as a worm spit a glob of acid at him. Shepard reached out, despite knowing that the man's fate was sealed._

"_Shepard, what the he-AAARGH!!!!"_

_His shields did not even pose a challenge to the acid. The slimy green liquid immediately began to eat at the man, burning off the skin on his neck and face. His muscles were the next to go, slowly revealing the bo--_

The memory abruptly shifted.

"_You do not work with those who wished to control us..."_

_Shepard turned, guard up, to face the voice that sounded from behind him. His pistol was out and pointed at the revived asari's head, ready to end her life once again. His finger hesitated, however, as he sensed the presence of the Rachni Queen within the asari._

"_You... are controlling the asari?"_

_The asari lurched forward slightly, a puppet on invisible strings._

"_Yes. This creature is on the verge, easy to use as a conduit so we may sing together..."_

_Shepard, while slightly confused at the Rachni Queen's choice of words, understood the gist of what was happening. It was using the asari in order to speak with him._

"_What do you want, exactly?"_

"_We simply wish to compose our songs in peace."_

_Shepard narrowed his eyes, "Well according to the history books you're a pretty violent species. If I decide to let you go, how will I know you won't start the Rachni Wars Pt. 2?"_

_The asari shifted again, "We do not know why our ancestors fought so viciously. Their songs were soured by another, a powerful yellow song that blanketed our species..."_

_Liara, now at Shepard's side, spoke up for the first time since confronting her mother, "Shepard, I may be wrong, but... Does that not sound like indoctrination?"_

_Tali, also next to Shepard, shook her head, "I'm not so sure... See those acid tanks? Those wouldn't be in there if she wasn't dangerous..."_

_The asari spoke again, "Indoctrination is not a familiar term... But, we are led to believe our ancestors were controlled by another. Please, we simply wish to compose in peace, that is all. Will you allow us this chance?"_

_Shepard rubbed his eyes, then shook his head. It was a difficult choice, and not one to be taken lightly. He had no qualms about killing the Queen and ending the species, but Shepard could sense a sincerity coming from the Queen. Meaning she was an innocent, and Shepard did not kill innocents. Besides, she could make a potential ally in the future, as her entire species would owe Shepard personally._

"_I won't damn your entire species to extinction... As long as you promise to not to instigate any conflicts."_

_The asari nodded jerkily, "Yes, yes! Our songs shall ring of peace and prosperity! We shall also sing of your greatness, human! We thank you!"_

_Shepard nodded as he typed some commands into the console controlling the Queen's chamber. Within seconds the Rachni was released into the wilds of Noveria._

The memories pass through his mind with incredible speed. What had taken hours and days to live through seem to pass him by in seconds.

"_Come on Commander, please tell me that's you!"_

_Shepard clicked a few buttons on his Omni-Tool. _

"_Of course, Joker. Were you expecting anyone else?"_

_Joker ignored the jab._

"_Commander, we heard that distress call from the Destiny Ascension! I'm sitting here in the Anderes sector with the entire Arcturus fleet! If you open the relays to the Citadel we can save the Council!"_

_Ashley grabbed Shepard's shoulder._

"_No way, Shepard! The Council has never done anything for humans! And isn't it more important to make sure Sovereign is destroyed?! Hold the fleet back!"_

_Tali pushed Ashley away from Shepard._

"_Think about this, Commander. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but sacrificing the Council will have some serious repercussions later on... This is bigger than just humanity, Shepard..."_

_Shepard shook his head, having made his decision before either of them had thrown in their own two cents, "Joker, hold the fleet back and target Sovereign. That Reaper must be destroyed, no matter what..."_

Another shift, and he was once again battling for his life on Akuze.

_...slowly revealing the bone that made up his commanding officer's skull. The man's screams pierced Shepard's mind, and for the first time in years Shepard was afraid. Without thought he turned, breaking in to a run as the screams echoed in his ears. A strange rumbling occured, and Shepard cannot help but look back in time to see his commanding officer swallowed whole as another worm bursts forth from the ground. _

"_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!"_

_Shepard pushed his body to its limits as adrenaline pumped through his veins. The four worm creatures were at his back, and they did not seem to be following him. Shepard stumbled as he ran uphill, violently hoping that if he could make it over the hill he could reunite with his scattering unit and raise his chances of surviving. He stumbled again, tripping over some of the vegetation covering the hill. At the same time something inside him screamed for Shepard to move. He twisted his body just as one of the worms burst out of the ground. The force of the worm coming out of the ground was almost like an explosion. While Shepard had avoided the creature's mouth, he was knocked into the air and pummeled by earth and debris. He lost his wind when he slammed into the ground. He was almost positive he had broken a rib... or two. _

"_Damn it! Mother fucking damn it!"_

_He was already moving away from the creature, half running and half stumbling. The same instincts that had saved him seconds ago once again kicked in and Shepard rolled to the left. The creature's weird acid attack flew by his head, barely missing him. Shepard could hear his heart pounding in his head, but he continued on as more adrenaline flooded his body. Every cell in his body was working at one-hundred percent as he pushed his legs over the last couple yards of the hill. _

"_Jesus Christ..."_

_Standing on the top of the hill gave Shepard an amazing view of the low grounds in front of him. The low grounds where the rest of his squad was being massacred by six more worm creatures. His brain seemed to shut down as he witnessed over forty of his squad mates being torn apart, eaten alive, and melted to nothing more than bone. The screams echoing up from the battlefield were terrible. And then Shepard's brain started back up, and he realized the screams were actually coming from him._

And then Shepard was gone from the hills of Akuze, suddenly on Earth as a teenager once again.

"_You called for me, sir?"_

_A recently turned fourteen years old Shepard stood calmly in front of his Squad Lead, hands behind his back with thoughts racing through his mind. Shepard had been a Squad Grunt for four years now, and he had been gunning for a promotion since day one. He was hoping his Lead was ready to recommend Shepard for his own squad. When a Squad Lead thought one of their Squad Grunts was strong enough, they would go to some of the higher-ups in the Reds gang and recommend that Grunt to become a Squad Lead. Shepard was hoping for the position, so he could finally be the same rank as that infuriating woman... She was always ahead of Shepard, and it pissed him off to no end. A year after he was finally promoted to a Grunt, she was promoted to a Squad Lead. He couldn't keep up with her..._

"_Shepard!"_

_The fourteen year old almost jumped, "Yes, sir?"  
_

_Shepard's Squad Lead was glaring at him, "Listen to me when I'm talking to you, brat!"_

"_I apologize, sir. What were you saying?"  
_

_The man, actually much older than Shepard at a startling thirty-four, sighed heavily, "I was saying, you damn brat, that you're one lucky S.O.B. Some of the higher-ups have been watching you close, kid, and they like you. They think you have... what'd they say? Potential, or some such nonsense. So you're up for promotion..."_

_Shepard smiled slightly, "Thank you, sir. I just want to let you know that I've been honored to serve as one of your Grunts. I'll follow your example and be an excellent Squad Lead."_

_The older man chuckled, "While your words are appreciated, Shepard, you're not being promoted to Squad Lead. I said the higher-ups liked you. They don't like anyone Shepard, but they like you. You're being promoted into a special class, kid. From now on, you're going to be a Hitman..."_

The break in the seal was widening. Despite the fact that he was reliving his entire life, Shepard had been drifting in the void for less than a minute. His lack of struggling gave him a few more seconds of life, and his most precious memory began to flash through his mind.

_Ashley's nude form was pressed against him, their bodies moving in a fast-paced rhythm. They eventually exhausted themselves, falling asleep in each other's arms. Shepard awoke some time later, cuddled up to the love of his life. He smiled down at Ashley. Her head was resting on his chest, and she was rubbing his bare chest in her sleep. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, waking her from her slumber. Her eyes slowly lost the blur of sleep. She smiled when she saw him._

"_Awake already, skipper?"_

_Shepard smirked, "Back to calling me that, huh?"_

_Ashley laughed, "Yep. Got a problem?"  
_

_Shepard narrowed his eyes and growled, "Maybe I do."_

_Ashley opened her mouth to respond, but Shepard took the moment to slip a kiss in. It only took a few seconds for the kiss to deepen, and then hands began to wonder. Eventually Ashley broke from Shepard, ending the small make-out and groping session._

"_I don't think I'm ready for round two just yet, Shepard."_

_Shepard grinned, "Well damn... We'll be reaching Ilos shortly anyway..."_

_At the mention of the planet they were heading to the mood in the room immediately changed. A small sense of foreboding seemed to creep into the cabin. Ashley snuggled up to Shepard's chest again._

"_We're going to make it back, I know it..."_

_Shepard looked down at his lover and squeezed her shoulder, "Yeah..."_

_Ashley shifted nervously for a second, then said, "I... um... I..."_

_Shepard smirked again, "You're not one for words, remember? 'Others say things about how I feel better than I do' or some such thing..."_

_Ashley laughed, though it was still slightly nervous, "Yeah..."_

_Shepard leaned down and kissed her again, "Let me help you then... I love you."_

_Ashley's eyes widened, and she was silent for over a minute. Shepard was actually beginning to worry when she initiated another passionate kiss._

"_I love you too, skipper..."_

Johnathan "Don't Call Me John" Shepard smiled up at the heavens as the last bit of oxygen left his lungs. He had saved the galaxy from Saren, Sovereign, and total destruction. He had been one of the luckiest people alive when he found love with Ashley Williams. He had lived his life to the fullest, and he was no longer afraid. Shepard took his last breath and died in peace.

* * *

A/n: Well there it is...

My very first foray into fanfiction. I am insanely in love with Mass Effect, and the sequel was even better than the first game. My love for the game is what really fueled me to write this. I was kind of disappointed to see such small connections linking Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. An example would be the Rachni not even making an appearance, they were just mentioned... So my aim is to make a ME2 story where the events in ME1 have a much more... noticeable effect on the galaxy. I'll also be manipulating the ME2 universe, so a lot of outcomes will be different. I'm really only following the basics of the plot from the game...

Since I lack any real experience in writing, barring assignments from my English 12 class, the story probably isn't very well written. I have what I would like to call an "outline" of this story plotted out, but updates will still be pretty slow.

Reviews will be replied to, so feel free to ask questions and such. Hoped you guys liked it!


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